


A Tale of No Heroes

by n7s



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Gotham, Gotham City - Freeform, One Shot, gothamites - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-03
Updated: 2016-07-03
Packaged: 2018-07-19 21:59:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7378966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/n7s/pseuds/n7s
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just a vent piece. Up to you what you take from it and how. :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Tale of No Heroes

It's not unusual for Gotham to fall in mourning when Batman goes missing. Because that's the thing with Gothamites: they've never admitted Batman has died. Not because it'd be crazy to admit they live in a world where someone can die and just as easily come back to life a few months later—no, they know better than that—but because to them, to the city, to everything Gotham encompasses  and resonates within, Batman doesn't die. That's their truth. Batman goes missing and sooner or later finds his way back home.

It's July 15th when the news breaks. The anchorwoman doesn't seem shaken or the least bit worried; as a matter of fact she makes a small joke about how this is what—the fiftieth time in three years the dark vigilante has left? He'll be back. His partners, young and older, are more than capable of keeping the city safe, _as safe as Gotham can get_ she quips a second time, and the black cape will make its presence known soon after. No need to worry. Everything is under control.

Everything is under control.

It's July 19th when the GCPD start noticing how no officer has encountered a single cape in each and every patrol they've been to. Crime rate hasn't shot up yet, all the dirtbags are playing it safe and hiding for the time being, but where are they? Batman is gone for now, yes, but what if something major happens? This is Gotham City, practically ground zero for bad luck, number one villain holiday resort and beacon for small-scale terrorist attacks. Where's the back-up plan?

There's no back-up plan.

It's July 31st when Commissioner Gordon almost seriously considers starting a search party for the 'bat family', as a cop jokingly called them the day before. The signal hasn't shut down for five nights and no one has made contact. Crime rate has been steady and low enough for the police to have successfully handled almost every petty case in the last two weeks. The Joker has made no attempt to attack the city, Scarecrow has completely dropped off the face of the earth. Every other big name seems to be taking some time off. There were only four muggings downtown last night. Everything is calm.

Everything is calm.

It's August 12th when nothing has changed. Batman is still missing, and so are his partners. The police had to break apart a small group of people wanting to hold a vigil in memory of Gotham's protectors as if something very publicly happened, something very bad, and now it's common knowledge the vigilantes of Gotham City are dead. But they're not. No attack has taken place nearly all summer, nobody was heroically sacrificed for the greater good. They should be here.

They're not here.

It's nearly the end of September when the Justice League comes forward with an important announcement. Superman's bright colors announce that, sorrowfully, Batman has passed away after a grim and months-long battle with an alien invader that nearly bested the entire team. Difficult as it may be, we must stay strong and remember that, just like Batman was human, people need no super abilities to make a difference, all the more when they band together as a team and give it their all.

Batman fought alongside a team. Batman gave it his best. He still died.

It's the same day people start asking about robins and batgirls and every other kid that was obviously always there to lend a hand. Where are they? Where are they now that Batman is dead? Dead and not missing, because they've accepted that. Where are they now that Gotham needs them?

But Gotham doesn't need them. Crime rates have dropped so low, it's nearly safer than any other Eastern Coast city right now. You could walk alone at night and people would have zero interest in you. No muggings, or killings, or mindless crimes that made up the city's nightlife. Crime is nearly non-existent and the heroes are nowhere to be found. Gotham needs no protection from herself anymore. Gotham is safe.

Gotham is fading.

It's three months later that there's another public announcement from the Justice League, this time Wonder Woman regretfully informing the world how Batman's incredibly resourceful sidekicks— _their own heroes_ the way they'll go down—were found amongst the giant rubble by the Lantern Corps, the same location Batman lost his life. Unknowingly to everyone, she says, they somehow found out how incredibly difficult for us, for their mentor, this mission would be, so they decided to lend a hand. And they did, and they fought from the shadows, but they were overrun. Their secret intervention did, however, give Batman a few more seconds to successfully implement a last-minute offense mechanism and ultimately destroy the alien invader's forces before succumbing to his wounds.

They were all heroes, she says.

They were all heroes but they still died.

It's an undefined amount of time later when Batman is still dead, the kids are still dead, Gotham is still okay. No crime. No attacks. No villains. Gotham is okay.

Gotham isn't.


End file.
